Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement & Annexation Report. To subscribe to this report, please click here.

January 8, 2026

1. Greater Jerusalem: E1; Sheikh Jarrah; Silwan
2. Annexation & Apartheid: United Nations Report; Antiquities Annexation Bill; Area B Annexation
3. Settlement & Outpost Construction: Plans Advance; Sa-Nur: Beit El; Beit Sahour; Mishmar Yehuda; New Details on 19 New Settlements
4. Settler Terrorism: Press Reports
5. Further Reading

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Greater Jerusalem

E-1

Israel published the tender for the construction of the E-1 settlement. The bidding is set to close on March 16th at which time the government can award construction rights for 3,401 new settlement units. See reporting:

• Peace Now (1/5/2026): “Israel Advances E1 Construction Tender, Severely Undermining the Viability of a Political Solution”
• Terrestrial Jerusalem (1/7/2026): “A Dire and Urgent Heads-Up Regarding the Final Approval of E-1”
• Press:
  • “‘Foil a Palestinian State’ Israel Issues Tender for Internationally Condemned Construction in West Bank’s E1 Area” (Haaretz, 1/7/2026)
  • “Israel clears final hurdle to start settlement construction that would cut the West Bank in two” (AP, 1/6/2026)
  • “Israel pushes ahead with vast illegal settlement in heart of West Bank” (The Guardian, 1/6/2026)

Sheikh Jarrah

On December 30th, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee held a hearing on objections filed against the plan to construct a major ultra-Orthodox yeshiva at the entrance to the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. See reporting:

• Ir Amim: “Major Yeshiva Plan Advances in Sheikh Jarrah Against a Backdrop of Growing Eviction Threats”
• Also see previous FMEP reporting on the yeshiva plan.

Silwan

There are several updates from Silwan, where settler-backed mass displacement is ongoing and accelerating. For an overview of where several court cases stands, and the totality of what is occurring in Silwan, see Ir Amim’s latest warning “Over 130 Palestinians in Silwan Face Eviction Within Weeks after Spate of Supreme Court Decisions”

• Ir Amim reports 100 residents were displaced when a multi-story building was demolished in Wadi Qaddum, Silwan: “Israeli Authorities Demolish Multi-Story Residential Building in Wadi Qaddum — Some 100 Palestinians Left Homeless”
  • Video of the demolition is available here.
  • Commentary on the mob of young, radical settlers which accompanied the demolition machinery and attacked Palestinians at the scene: See here.
• Peace Now reports a court dismissed objections on settler-backed eviction cases affecting 62 residents in Batan al-Hawa, Silwan: “Supreme Court ordered eviction of additional Palestinian families from Silwan.”

Apartheid & Annexation

UN accuses Israel of Apartheid

In a new report, the UN Human Rights Office details the “asphyxiating impact of Israel’s laws, policies and practices on every aspect of daily life for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.” The report warns that Israel is violating international law requiring States to prohibit and eradicate racial segregation and apartheid.  See reporting:

• “United Nations rights office accuses Israel of West Bank ‘apartheid’” (The Times of Israel, 1/7/2026)
• “UN accuses Israel of deepening ‘apartheid-like’ conditions in the West Bank” (i24 News, 1/7/2026)
• “UN rights chief says Israeli policy in West Bank ‘resembles apartheid system’” (BBC, 1/7/2026)
• “UN Report Urges Israel to Eradicate ‘Racial Segregation and Apartheid’ in West Bank” (Haaretz, 1/8/2026)
• “Israel ‘asphyxiating’ Palestinians for ‘apartheid system’ in West Bank: UN” (Al Jazeera, 1/7/2026)
• “U.N. Rights Chief Decries “Apartheid” in Occupied West Bank as Israel Approves New Settlements” (Democracy Now!, 1/8/2026)

Annexation via Archaeology/Antiquity

The Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee is rapidly advancing a bill that would apply Israeli domestic law to all antiquity sites in the West Bank. After a 5-hour long hearing on January 6th, the Committee is scheduled to convene on January 13th for a final hearing on the bill. Emek Shaveh comments: “The pace and framing of the discussion make clear that the coalition intends to push the bill through committee and bring it to a first vote in the Knesset plenum in the immediate future.” See detailed reporting:

• Emek Shaveh (1/7/2026): “Annexationist Archaeology Law Scheduled for Final Discussion at the Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee Prior to First Vote on Tuesday, 13 January, 12:30”
• Peace Now (1/1/2026): “Knesset to Discuss Bill to Establish a Parallel Antiquities Authority in the West Bank, Part of Annexation Policy”

Further archeological-related news:

• “Likud Knesset member seeks to expand antiquities authority to Gaza in controversial bill” (Ynet, 12/31/2025)
• “‘Grandpa, look what we found’: Huckabee family uncovers ancient coins in West Bank caves” (The Jerusalem Post, 1/6/2026). See Emek Shaveh response.

Creeping Annexation of Area B

Haaretz documented (video) three cases of army-compelled displacement of Palestinians in Area B in a new feature, “Occupation Moving Forward: Israeli Settlers – and Soldiers – Are Now Expelling Palestinians From Homes in Area B” (12/30/2025). Reminder: Israel has long been exceeding its authorities under the Oslo Accords to assert control in Area B of the West Bank particularly over construction enforcement. Area B is 21% of the Wets Bank where, under the Oslo Accords, Israel has security authorities but has no jurisdiction over civil matters (such as building enforcement).

Settlement & Outpost Construction

Israel Advances Plans for 1,033 New Settlement Units

Peace Now reports the Civil Administration has advanced the following settlement construction plans:

• Asfar: A plan for 509 new settlement units was awarded validation
• Yitzhar: A plan for 398 new settlement units was deposited for public review.
• Sa-Nur: A plan for 126 settlement units was deposited for public review.

Sa-Nur

Israeli planning authorities gave preliminary approval to the important Master Plan for the re-establishment of the Sa-Nur settlement in the northern West Bank. The plan outlines the construction of 126 settlement units. See reporting from Peace Now: “Advancement of 1,033 Housing Units in the West Bank” (12/29/2025)

The IDF is already preparing for the four new settlements (Sa-Nur, Ghanim, Kadim, Homesh), both by establishing new IDF bases in the area and heavily arming settlers in the area. Peace Now reports that the IDF issued a seizure order to over 500 dunams of privately owned land in order to construct a settler-only bypass road to serve the new Sa-Nur settlement. Ynet reports that further land seizures should be expected in the area as the military increases is presence in the area.

Beit El

The IDF agreed to evacuate a base near the Beit El settlement in order to double the size of the settlement (1,200 new units). Reporting:

• Smotrich’s announcement, posted on X.
• Wafa: “Israeli authorities announce plan for 1,200 colonial units in Beit El

Beit Sahour

The Mayor of Beit Sahour wrote an international appeal to remove settlers from a new outpost being installed on the eastern border of Beit Sahour, on important public land called Oush Ghurab. Reporting:

• See the letter here.
• Previous FMEP reporting on the new outpost in Beit Sahour.
• Previous Peace Now reporting on the new outpost in Beit Sahour: “Settlers Established a New Outpost Today East of Bethlehem”

Mishmar Yehuda

WAFA news reports the Israeli government has published a new map expanding the boundaries of the Mishmar Yehuda settlement. For background information, see:

• Peace Now (2/28/2024): “The Israeli Government Promotes a New Settlement in the West Bank”
• See FMEP’s March 2024 reporting on Mishmar Yehuda outpost.

Government Confirms Details of 19 New Settlements

After weeks of reports, the Israeli government finally confirmed the details of 19 new settlements it intends to legalize. The reports confirm previous lists. Reporting and analysis:

• “Israel Legalizes 19 West Bank Settler Outposts, Reversing Disengagement Policy” (Haaretz, 12/21/2025)
• “Illegal settlement expansion: How Israel is redrawing occupied West Bank” (Al Jazeera, 12/22/2025)
• Previous FMEP reporting on the 19 new settlements.

Settler Terrorism

See the following reports of settler violence:

• “5 settlers arrested for allegedly attacking Palestinian shepherd, killing his sheep” (The Times of Israel, 12/23/2025)
• “Army OKs tracking bracelets to enforce West Bank restraining orders as settler attacks spike” (The Times of Israel, 1/6/2026)
• “Netanyahu: ‘Handful of kids’ not from West Bank behind rising settler violence” (The Times of Israel, 12/31/2025)
• “This is how Israeli settlers, backed by the military, erased a Palestinian village from existence last week” (Mondoweiss, 1/4/2026)
• “‘An Attack Can Happen Any Second’: My Eyewitness Testimony of Rampant Settler Violence” (Haaretz, 1/8/2025)

Further Reading

1. “Trump, top aides asked Netanyahu to change policy in occupied West Bank” (Axios, 12/29/2025)
2. “2025: Illegal Israeli settlement expansion in occupied West Bank hits record high” (MEMO, 1/2/2026)
3. “You Know Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. Now Meet the Dangerous Israeli Minister You’ve Never Heard Of” (Zeteo, 12/18/25)
4. “Victory against Israeli West Bank settlement offers Palestinians some hope” (Al Jazeera, 12/24/2025)
5. “Settlements have become a consensus” (Israel Hayom, 1/5/2026)
6. “Israeli settlers consume seven times more water than Palestinians” (Al Jazeera 1/5/2026)